Preliminary talks have taken place between individuals including Gerard Figueras, the director general of sport in the Generalitat of Catalonia, and both Juan Antonio Samaranch and Pere Miró, the respective IOC vice-president and deputy director general. 

They met to "exchange points of view on the possibility of organising the Olympic event", which could take place across Barcelona and the Pyrenees region. 

Figueras told Mundo Deportivo that they are focusing on "the idea of asking the COE (Spanish Olympic Committee) for the letter of intent for 2030". 

He reportedly added, however, that they are "open to 2026 if the IOC so requests".

An IOC deadline for expressions of interest for 2026 fell in March and, while Sion in Switzerland has since withdrawn following a failed referendum, surviving bids from Canada, Italy, Turkey, Japan, Austria and Sweden are still in progress.

However, with many of these still volatile and dependent on potential referendums, it is possible that other venues could be considered.

The IOC are due to approve official candidates in October before making a final choice next year.

United States, Norway and Kazakhstan have all spoken enthusiastically about bidding for 2030 rather than 2026. 

"The Pirineus-Barcelona candidacy makes a lot of sense and is a good idea," Samaranch, whose father was IOC President until 2001, told the Efe news agency.

"It is necessary, however, to work from now on and also unity among all the actors involved: the Generalitat, the Barcelona City Council, the State, the sports fabric and civil society."

Miró reportedly said that it is "possible" for the Pyrenees and Barcelona to host the Winter Olympics as long as it is a "country, city," project that makes sense and can serve to improve society. 

"The candidacy makes sense because it links the mountain and the city, because it puts Barcelona at the service of the country and because the Pyrenees today enjoy a high projection abroad," he added.

Ice sports would be held in the city of Barcelona itself while skiing and snowboarding would take place in the nearby mountains.

It is possible that a sliding sports track outside Spain could be considered, potentially over the French border in Albertville. 

Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics in an event widely credited for transforming the city.

But the city abandoned a bid for the 2022 Winter Games in 2013 and recent Madrid attempts for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Games all resulted in failure.

A possible Barcelona bid would face many of the same challenges as other European efforts, though, including concerns over costs, public apathy and opposition due to political tensions between the Catalonia region and other parts of Spain.

insidethegames has contacted Miró and Samaranch for clarification on their expectations.